Dugout Discussion

De Bruyne, Foden on Man City bench as Aguero starts

Kevin de Bruyne (£11.5m) is back in the Manchester City fold after missing out through injury in Gameweek 5.

The Belgium star was also sidelined for City’s 3-1 win against Porto on Wednesday night but returned to training the following day.

Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) was also pictured back on the training pitches, though is not part of Pep Guardiola’s matchday 18. Nathan Aké (£5.5m) also misses out for the Citizens.

Joining KDB on the bench is Phil Foden (£6.6m), who fails to earn a place in the starting XI despite only being used as a substitute in the Champions League. Raheem Sterling (£11.6m) captains the side.

Sergio Aguero (£10.4m), who netted a penalty in that Porto clash, starts for the third consecutive game in all competitions.

On the striker, Guardiola explained in his pre-Champions League press conference:

Having Sergio on the pitch, we are better, we are safer. We missed him a lot in important moments in the later part of the season. Now it is good news for us that he is back.

The important thing is that Sergio comes back in good physical condition, starts to get his rhythm, doesn’t get more injuries and and plays good.

At his pre-West Ham news conference, Guardiola said of his other senior striker Gabriel Jesus (£9.3m):

He’s getting better but a tough injury. Hopefully still he couldn’t train with us.

He will be ready when he does train because he gets the form quickly but maybe one week, two weeks before that [happens].

On new centre-back Ruben Dias (£5.5m), the City boss added:

He settled good. He came from Benfica fully fit. He still needs time to get some situations, some ideas, some rhythm and process we need. He’s open minded.

In Laporte’s absence, Dias is partnered by Eric Garcia (£4.8m) at centre-back while Riyad Mahrez (£8.4m) keeps his place from the XI that beat Arsenal 1-0 in Gameweek 5.

Joao Cancelo (£5.4m) looks set to operate at left-back in a 4-3-3 system, though Guardiola’s set-up against the Gunners saw the full-back tuck into midfield for large portions of the game.

While the City manager has named an unchanged XI from the Porto tie – his first time doing so since October 2017 – there are two changes from that win over the Gunners with Garcia and Ilkay Gundogan (£5.4m) replacing Aké and Foden.

On his line-up, Guardiola told BT Sport:

It is what it is. For the teams who play in Europe and international competitions, the schedule is tight with a lot of games. It happened last season, so with the covid situation we have to adapt.

We didn’t have much preparation and we have to get it during the game. That’s why today is another opportunity to improve what we’ve improved the last games and get up to the table.

We decide to continue with the same guys to get the rhythm as quick as possible for some players.

Yeah, he’s important [De Bruyne]. Aymeric is close too and Nathan as well so it’s important players come back.

David Moyes names an unchanged West Ham XI for the third straight gameweek, with the Hammers fresh off a thrilling 3-3 comeback draw against Spurs in GW5.

Michail Antonio (£6.3m) Tomas Soucek (£4.9m) Aaron Cresswell (£5.0m) and Arthur Masuaku (£4.5m) are among the names that FPL bosses will be eyeing up ahead of fixture turn for the Hammers in Gameweek 8.

On new signing Saïd Benrahma (£6.0m), who does not make the matchday squad, Moyes explained on Friday:

He needs to get up to speed with what we want and where we are at so it has given me the opportunity to take a bit more time with him.

But I have said the same before with the boys from the Championship, I am not in any rush to put them in. I like to give them the opportunities at the right time.

I will take my time with him, bring him on when he is ready and get him in a good condition to start to then play well when he does.

West Ham United XI (3-4-3): Fabianski; Cresswell, Ogbonna, Balbuena; Masuaku, Rice, Soucek, Coufal; Fornals, Antonio, Bowen.

Manchester City XI (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Garcia, Dias, Walker; Bernardo, Rodri, Gundogan; Sterling, Aguero, Mahrez.

1,445 Comments Post a Comment
  1. CloudSky
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Sterling and Mahrez are dog shite.

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Naaah they are class players

      1. CloudSky
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        At badminton, maybe.

  2. @persecuted_by_mods
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Yarmolenko bet on that city wins?

    • FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Sold Foden for Grealish in FanTeam. Good or bad move ?

      1. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        What do you think.

        1. FPL Daniel
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Probably a good , dont know. Shortterm looks like a bad moven

      2. St Pauli Walnuts
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Given the prices there, solid move long term. Both good picks though.

    • Joey Tribbiani
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Yarmolenko has been horrible!

    • Meinhoff
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Sterling oh dear, what a disaster

    • jwong23
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Sterling - can't pass, can't dribble...

    • Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Sterling is almost 26 and he still can't control or strike a ball properly.

      Switching to Mane ASAP.

      1. Make United Great Again
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Cry some more

    • badgerboy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Je suis Fudgy.

    • Jarnathan
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      What is Sterlings strength? Pace? He can't hold the ball and he can't score except from the easiest of chances?.

      1. el polako
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        He have really good timing ability, scored dozens of goals by simply making good run across the goal at right time.

      2. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Positioning in the box is his only strength. Tap in merchant

      3. Gnu
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        57 goals and 39 assists in the last 3 seasons where he's scored over 200 points each season suggests he's doing something right.

    • FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Just saw Antonio was withdrawn before 60 🙁 what happened? Damn, wish he was in for at least 60 mins would have been on 8-9 pts

    • Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Sterling has had a nightmare game.

      1. Warbling Wendy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        he can't even control the ball

      2. Baines on Toast...
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Agreed. Don’t like to see the wolves circling online though, I think he is generally underrated, but he looks so frustrated today.

    • FPL Blow-In
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      That’s not a yellow...

    • Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Sterling has been woeful.

    • Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Look at that lay off from Sterling. It's absolutely stinking 😆

    • JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Masuaku at 4.5 is a steal

      1. Begbie.
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Shhhhhhh... we need him to stay at 4.5 for another week 😉

        1. JONALDINHO
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Already got him two weeks ago hoping he rises

      2. Traction Engine Foot
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Coufal looks good too.

      3. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Coufal also the same price.

    • Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      He’s had a bad game. Doesn’t make Sterling a bad player LOL. Why are people overreacting?

      1. Begbie.
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Because he's always like this, he just usually scores a tap in to paper over the cracks.

        1. Make United Great Again
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          He isn’t always like this. You’re talking rubbish

          1. JONALDINHO
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            He is though

            1. Make United Great Again
              • 11 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Liverpool fan. Shock

          2. Pukki Blinders
            • 4 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            He is lol

          3. Begbie.
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            His touch and shooting have always been incredibly erratic. He's extremely impactful in that City side and racks up the goals but he isn't a top player.

      2. @persecuted_by_mods
          3 years, 5 months ago

          When does he not play like this? Just sometimes he taps in the sitters

        • Pukki Blinders
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Has too many of those bad games for my liking

        • Railwayman
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          He is bad most of the time and only will be remembered with his tap ins and even misses them 30% of the time.

      3. Warbling Wendy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Sterling has properly stunk out the last 10 minute of this game

      4. Differentiator
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        I bought Sterling this week. Sorry everyone else who owns

      5. Paul Psychic Octopus
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Foden MOM?!! Crazy decision. If you get MOM for scoring one goal then it goes to Tony.

      6. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Mitchel still plays. Selling for Kilman was a bad move potentially?

      7. Railwayman
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        When it comes to being a very, very stupid player, Sterling is a class of his own. Then there are 3 empty spots and after that, the list continues...

      8. FPL Blow-In
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        I thought Ogbonna should of had MOTM or Fabianski

        1. Old Man
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          *should've

          1. FPL Blow-In
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Thanks

      9. RoysCallerAnne
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        City are done and dusted now. Perennial Champions League failures and now clearly only the third best team in the league behind Liverpool and Leeds.

        Throwing billions around only gets you so far. You can't buy heritage. Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal will always be English football's royalty.

        Pep should go back to New York. Central Park is beautiful in the 'fall'.

        1. Warby84
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Leeds haha what a joke

        2. F4L
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          what rubbish 😆

      10. It’s gonna Ben Mee
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        PvA gamble was a massive failure. Oh well

      11. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        End of the game . Anyone knows why Antonio was subbed off?

        1. Stupendous
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Hamstring

        2. Jack Burton
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Pulled up

        3. ClassiX
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Injury

          1. FPL Daniel
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            🙁

      12. Garlana
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Sterling captain fail, now for a depressing weekend.

      13. Flair
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Foden scored, nice!

      14. Coys96
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Foden no bonus - what a joke. Turned the game around and scored.

        1. Camzy
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          I'll take 6 points considering he didn't start the match xD

        2. Salah’s Sonnet
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Bps system IS the joke

        3. Babelcopter
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          This fuming!

      15. Make United Great Again
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Again. People saying “Sterling is always like this” have you been watching him over the past 3 years? Terrible analysis.

        1. @persecuted_by_mods
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Have you been watching him? The man can't control a football FFS

          • Brosstan
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            You are blinkered. Sterling is nothing but a tap in merchant

          • Begbie.
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Yes. Clearly you haven't been.

            His goals (most of which are put on a plate) allow people to gloss over it.

            1. Baines on Toast...
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 13 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              That was true of his goals a couple of seasons ago but most of them are a much higher quality now, because the team aren’t creating nearly as much

        2. Salan
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          How many great chances Sterling missed in this match?